Shane Steichen Takes Blame As Indianapolis Colts Lose to ...

When Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen announced this week that Joe Flacco would be taking over as the starting quarterback in place of Anthony Richardson, a decision he took full ownership of, he did so with winning in mind.

"(I) Feel that Joe gives us the best chance to win right now," he said on Wednesday.

It certainly did not look that way on Sunday night. The Colts offense put forth their worst performance of the season against the Minnesota Vikings, falling 21-13 in primetime. The Indy offense mustered just two field goals on the night and looked as stagnant as ever with Flacco under center.

If this is the offense the Colts bring out the rest of the way, it is fair to wonder how many more games they will actually win this season.

"Obviously, very disappointed going on the road and not getting it done," Steichen stated after the game. "It starts with me. I'm the head coach. Everything that's on that field I'm in charge of, so I wasn't good enough."

'I wasn't good enough' is a statement Steichen has voiced quite often this season after games, but the results have not improved. To say the Colts' offense has not looked this bad all year is not hyperbolic. Steichen's unit posted season lows in points (6), red zones drive (0), first downs (13), yards (227), and expected points added (EPA) per play (-0.35). The Colts also did not reach the red zone all game.

On a week where Steichen made a massive change at the most important position, he had no answer for Brian Flores's defense.

"Credit to Minnesota too. They did a lot of good things, but again, I'm the head coach," Steichen reiterated. "Everything that's on that field, my name's on it. They did a lot of good things defensively. They mixed up their coverages, blitz looks. We knew it was going to be a tough challenge coming into the game. It's a good football team we played. But at the end of the day, it wasn't good enough, and I got to be better for the guys."

Now, to their credit, the Vikings' defense is known to be one of the most aggressive and exotic in the NFL. They blitz at the highest rate in the league and use multiple looks and disguises to throw offenses off their game. It is a tough challenge to prepare for.

But when you look at the raw numbers, the Vikings came into this matchup with the 30th-ranked passing defense in football, giving up 263 yards per game. They had proven to be stout against the run (third-best run defense), but there would be opportunities for success through the air.

The success never came, as Flacco was inaccurate and seemed to sense the pressure before it was there. Flacco finished 16-of-27 (59%) for 179 yards and an interception while being sacked three times. The consistency and ability to keep the offense on track, the main reasons Flacco was named the starter over Richardson, failed to materialize.

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While Steichen did not comment on Flacco's on-field performance, he believes the quarterback handled the environment well and put the blame back on himself.

"He was fine," Steichen said about Flacco. "Obviously, he's been playing in environments like this before, but again, it starts with myself as the head coach."

The Colts run game had trouble getting going as well. Indy mustered only 68 yards on 19 carries for a 3.6-yard average. Jonathan Taylor did what he could, but with the Vikings' defense focused on not allowing Taylor to beat them, 48 yards was all he could manage.

The running game being less dynamic is another side effect of benching Richardson. The Colts have zero threat of a quarterback run game with Flacco, allowing defenses to tee off on Taylor without pausing to honor Richardson's ability on the ground. It eliminates a dynamic aspect of the offense the Colts desperately need.

"We have to be efficient running the football there with J.T. and stuff, but we'll get that cleaned up," Steichen remarked. "I have full faith and confidence that they'll get that cleaned up moving forward."

What is even worse is the Colts wasted away a great defensive effort that saw all of their top playmakers have an impact. Grover Stewart and DeForest Buckner were monsters in the middle, dominating the interior of the Vikings' defensive line. They registered three of the Colts' four sacks on the afternoon, including a phenomenal strip-sack by Stewart scooped up by Kenny Moore II for the lone Colts' touchdown of the evening.

Speaking of Moore, he and Zaire Franklin were all over the place, making crucial plays for the defense. Franklin and Nick Cross registered two interceptions of Sam Darnold, while Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo were in the backfield all night. It was a tremendous effort for a unit that was on the field for most of the game yet again.

The box score may show the Colts gave up 415 yards of total offense to the Vikings, including 137 to All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson. But Gus Bradley's group did enough to win the Colts the game if the offense had held up their end of the deal.

"I thought Gus and those guys did a heck of a job getting the turnovers," Steichen admitted. "They played good all game. They really did. Obviously, they kept us in it the whole time. Getting theturnover there, the first one to get us a touchdown there. But I thought our defense did a hell of a job."

The 'win now' Colts suddenly find themselves at 4-5, losers of two straight for the second time this season and back below .500. Despite the loss, the Colts are only one game back of the final wild card spot in the AFC with eight games remaining. There is still a road for them to make the playoffs, but they will not get there if the offense continues to produce like they did Sunday night.

When Steichen and the Colts made the move from Richardson to Flacco, they made it clear they were sacrificing long-term development for short-term success. They turned up the heat on themselves, raising expectations that they were going for the playoffs and needed the best option for right now. It is now playoffs or bust for this Colts team.

But after that performance, who is to say Flacco does give them the best chance to win? Steichen said last night the Colts are going to stick with Flacco 'right now,' so do not expect a change back to Richardson anytime soon. However, if Steichen wants this to work out, he needs to find answers fast.

"I got to keep looking at what we're doing offensively, you know what I mean?" Steichen explained. "We have eight (games) left. We're halfway through the year now. Just kind of look at scheme stuff and what we're doing and go from there."

Steichen made his bed by going with Flacco, and now he has to lie in it. And if it does not work out and the Colts miss the playoffs, that bed, and Steichen's seat, will feel much hotter come season's end.

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